Kent flag at half mast as Thatcher opinions differ

The flags above Kent County Council's County Hall have been lowered to half-mast in tribute to former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher.

Lady Thatcher twice stood to be an MP in Dartford before becoming the country’s first female premier.

During the course of her premiership in the 1980s she put the greatness back into Britain and we became a prosperous, confident nation once again.

She encouraged self reliance, the empowerment of individuals and the business community. A conviction politician that told the country straight what was needed and what she thought.

– Cllr Paul Carter, council leader

Mrs Thatcher is portrayed as anti European, but she signed the Single European Act. In reducing the iron grip of the unions, she destroyed much of the heavy iron, steel, engineering and mining industry across the country including in the Kent coalfields.

The communities which relied on those industries suffered greatly as a result, and are still recovering from it.

– Cllr Trudy Dean, KCC Liberal Democrat leader

I respect any MP from any background or party and especially someone who led this country for 11 years.

However, as a politician who spent many years in East Kent, I can only say that the sweeping pit closures enforced by Thatcher’s government devastated many communities.

Today we are still struggling with the economy because the damage caused by Thatcher’s policies lives on.